How to vote in Wisconsin

Although not a presidential or U.S. Senate race, the fall 2014 elections decide whether Gov. Scott Walker will stay in office for a second term.

The fall partisan primaries are on Aug. 12, and candidates who move on from there will face off in the Nov. 4 general election. That will include legislative races, U.S. House re-elections and the governor’s race.

For the spring non-partisan elections, which include the mayor’s race, the primary is Feb. 17, and the general election is April 7.

Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m, and all voters need to be registered to vote.

The state’s voter ID law, which two state judges and a federal judge struck down, will likely not be in place for the fall 2014 elections, Republican lawmakers have acknowledged.

Reid Magney, spokesperson for the state’s Government Accountability Board, said out-of-state college students often decide to vote in Wisconsin, as they might feel more connected to the state’s issues.

Many students want to have a vote, especially if they’re at a public university, he said.

“[A public] university is effectively controlled … by the state Legislature and affected by the policies of the state government,” Magney said. “It wouldn’t be surprising that students would want to vote in an election [outside of their home state].”

According to the GAB, to qualify to vote in Wisconsin, students must:

1. Be a U.S. citizen.

2. Be at least 18-years-old on or before Election Day.

3. Reside in the Wisconsin election ward where they wish to vote for at least 28 days prior to the election, and have no present intent to move. If a student were to leave a residence for a temporary period of time with the intent to return, then they still fulfill the 28 consecutive day requirement.

4. Provide proof of residency in the state. Examples of acceptable proof of residencies include a university housing bill with the student’s name and address, a rent bill with the student’s name and address, a paycheck, a printed copy of a current bursar’s statement and any document from a public university or technical college containing the student’s name and current address. A more extensive list can be found online at http://gab.wi.gov/voters. Proof of residency can be shown through a paper document or through a computer, phone or tablet.

How to vote:

Register to vote either by mail or in person. Those who intend to register may fill out a form online to register, but that must then be mailed or presented in person. You need to provide a Wisconsin driver’s license or ID number — or if you do not have one, the last four digits of your social security number.

If this is your first time voting, you need to register to vote in Wisconsin. If you have voted in the past but your name or address has changed, you need to re-register. That means those who are looking to vote in November in their new Madison address will need to re-register.

More information is available on www.myvote.wi.gov, where you can check if you are already registered.

If you are registering in person prior to the election, go to the Madison City Clerk’s office or to a special registration deputy, some of whom may be in the Associated Students of Madison office. You will also find some special registration deputies on the sidewalk this fall. You will need proof of residence to register.

If you are registering by mail, send your completed copy of the voter registration form along with proof of residence to the Madison City Clerk’s office. The application needs to be postmarked 20 days before the election.

If registering within 20 days before an election, you will need to register at the clerk’s office.

You cannot register to vote on the Saturday, Sunday or Monday before Election Day, but you can register in person on Election Day.

To find your polling place location, enter information about your residency on www.myvote.wi.gov. There is early voting available, although it is no longer available during the weekends, and hours have been limited during the week.